Dr. Pamela Levangie Earns Top National Honors from the APTA

News Story: March 1, 2009

Dr. Pamela Levangie

For the second time in three years, a member of Sacred Heart University’s Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science has earned national honors as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has recognized Dr. Pamela K. Levangie, a professor and associate chair of the department, for her “sustained national leadership, influence and achievement in the field of physical therapy.”

In 2007, Dr. Michael Emery, professor and chairman of the department, was similarly honored. The association’s highest accolade will be formally presented to Dr. Levangie at the APTA national conference in Baltimore, in June. It is named for a widely respected leader in the discipline for more than 50 years, Dr. Catherine Worthingham.

In announcing the recognition, Dr. R. Scott Ward, president of the APTA, explained that Professor Levangie was selected for a body of work that has resulted in “lasting and significant advances in the science, education and practice of the profession of physical therapy.” He added that she has demonstrated “frequent and sustained efforts” on behalf of the profession.

Professor Levangie holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston University. She was nominated for this prestigious honor last fall by the faculty of her department.

Fewer than 100 of the association’s 65,000 members serve as Worthingham fellows. “The fellowship category was established in 1980, so there’s a relatively small group of people in the profession that have been recognized,” Dr. Emery said, adding that the fellows of the association meet annually to provide comment to the APTA’s board of directors on a variety of issues within the field. He called Professor Levangie “most deserving of this national recognition, and she continues to be a most valued colleague and member of our department.”

U.S. News & World Report lists Sacred Heart University’s physical therapy program as the best in Connecticut and among the best in the nation. In the magazine’s Best Graduate Schools 2009, SHU is ranked 52nd nationally, placing it as one of the top five programs in New England, along with Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University, the University of Vermont and Simmons College. Sacred Heart has been a regional and national leader in the field, having introduced the first doctoral program in Connecticut in 2004.